The Problem with Wildfire
by Opaque Vision
Summary: Ryo is upset about being powerless.


Hey! This is my first RW fanfic so please be kind, but I would love your responses to this. Even flames (though I prefer praise!). I don't own RW, but if I did I would be so happy!   
  
This story takes place after the Ronins defeat Talpa the first time. And is during the time of Lord Saberstryke (?spelling?). There are a couple of point of views: the narrator, Ryo, Mia, and Rowen. Warning to some: I am a die-hard Mia/Ryo fan so watch out that this story will have them together and if you like fighting...I'm sorry cause I absolutely suck at writing action pieces. Also, Sage is not my favorite so he kinda plays the bad guy out of the Ronins...sorry all you Sage fans out there! Hope you enjoy it!  
  
  
~~~~~  
  
The Problem with Wildfire  
  
~~~~~  
  
Ryo sat on the couch starring down at his hands. What use was he? Without his swords he was helpless in battle. If anything he was a danger to his friends. He couldn't defend himself or Mia and Yuli. What kind of leader can't even fight? Ryo sighed. He had to find a way to get the Soul Swords of Fervor, but how? How was he to fight Lord Saberstryke without the Swords of Wildfire?   
  
And the worse thing was that White Blaze had been injured while he defended Ryo. If it hadn't been for him White Blaze would be fine and not confined to the house. His thoughts drifted again to Lord Saberstryke. He was so fast and the swords were incredibly powerful. As long as Lord Saberstryke had the Soul Swords Ryo knew he couldn't defeat him. Even the White Armor of Inferno was no good without a weapon. Ryo sighed again and dropped his head lower. It was all his fault.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Mia looked into the living room as she walked by and saw Ryo sitting on the couch just starring at his hands. She could see the sadness written all over his face. She knew that he felt helpless without the Swords of Wildfire, but couldn't he see how powerful he was...even without a weapon. His power and strength of spirit was like nothing she had ever seen. He cared only for his friends and saving the world. He would sacrifice his own life for the life of any other person. He had defeated Talpa alone and yet he felt helpless? Ryo could never be completely helpless she knew because he was too strong in spirit to be weak in body. He would find a way to win, of that she was confident, he always did.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Later that night the guys were all sitting in the living room after dinner. Ryo and Rowen were sitting on the couch with Cye leaning against it. Kento was laying down on the floor and both Sage and Mia were sitting in chairs. There was a somber feeling about the room and no one was smiling. The thought on everyone's mind...how to get the Soul Swords of Fervor.   
  
Rowen and Sage made eye contact. It was time to tell Ryo what they were thinking about. Sage looked at Cye and let him know that now was the time. Cye tapped Kento, whose eyes were shut, with his foot. Without being told Kento knew that the time had come to let Ryo know of their plan.  
  
Rowen had been elected to tell him, so Rowen cleared his throat and thought of how to tell his leader and his friend how they had decided that he should not fight.  
  
"You know, Ryo, the guys and I were thinking and we think that it might be better for you...for all of us...if you kind of sit this battle out. Just let us handle Lord Saberstryke and get those Soul Swords. Nothing personal, it's just that with White Blaze hurt you're not really thinking straight."  
  
Ryo starred at him. "You want me to just sit back and not fight? To watch you all and know that I'm not allowed to help simply because I'm mad that White Blaze got hurt? If you hadn't noticed this battle is more mine than any of yours! White Blaze is my tiger and Lord Saberstryke has the swords that go with my new armor, but you all have voted that you don't want me to fight?!" At this point Ryo had stood up and was yelling. He didn't mean to yell, but he was so upset. His friends were turning on him. He wanted to fight with them, not watch them fight.  
  
Mia winced at Rowen's words. She knew that Ryo's reaction would be like this and in her opinion, Ryo's words were justified. This was his fight. Why couldn't the others see that?  
  
Sage took the brief silence to try to make Ryo see their point. "The thing is Ryo is that you don't have a weapon so even if you did fight with us, what could you do? So it would be better this way, this way we won't have to worry about you getting hurt."  
  
Ryo glared at Sage. "So you think I'm weak. That I'm extra baggage weighing you guys down! Well fine! I don't care anymore! You can all fight whenever you want, but don't think that you can order me to not fight. Because you can't!" With his last words Ryo stormed out of the house and into the woods.  
  
"Good job guys. Really, I think you have somehow managed to make his already horrible day worse. I didn't think it was possible, but obviously it was." Rowen tried to open his mouth to speak, but Mia cut him off. "You know, you guys have a lot of nerve telling Ryo that he can't fight. Do you remember how many times he's had to save your butts? He is a great friend, loyal to the end and to him you guys betrayed him just now. And since when do you order around the leader of the Ronin Warriors. I think that you need to seriously reconsider this decision because I think that you will come to realize how important Ryo is in a battle and without him there is no White Armor of Inferno. And you will most certainly need the White Armor to defeat Lord Saberstryke. So I suggest that as soon as Ryo returns you all beg his forgiveness and try to reassemble the shambles of your friendship."  
  
The guys all had their heads hanging low as Mia spoke. They knew that she was right. "We'll make it right, Mia. We promise," said Cye softly.  
  
"You had better, because he needs you all standing behind him right now."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Late that night Ryo returned to the house to find Mia still awake and waiting for him. He walked her to the door of her room and as they were saying their goodnights, he broke down.  
  
"They don't want me for a leader anymore and I don't blame them. What good am I?"  
  
"Oh, Ryo. There is so much about yourself that you don't see. You are so strong and so what if you don't have a weapon. Your determination and will to save your friends is enough to overcome any evil that will try to get in your way. Just look at Talpa. You thought then that you couldn't defeat him, but you found the way to kill him. You. Not Rowen, or Sage, or Kento, or Cye. You. You are so much stronger than you realize."  
  
Ryo looked up into Mia's eye and he knew that she was telling him the truth, but even though she believed in him. He still could not find it within himself to believe in himself and his ability.  
  
There was such sadness in his eyes and Mia couldn't stand it. Tears slipped quietly down his face, unchecked by his hands. She stood on her toes and softly kissed away his tears.  
  
Ryo felt Mia kiss his tears away and he was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation for this woman who stood by him in his darkest hour. He brought his hands up to lightly rest on her waist. Finally his tears stopped falling and he looked at her. "Words cannot express how much you mean to me," he whispered.   
  
Mia looked up to his emotion filled face and saw the how much he cared for her in his eyes. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled his lips down to hers.   
  
~~~~~  
  
Rowen laid in his bed starring at the ceiling. He just couldn't fall asleep tonight and he knew why. He had betrayed Ryo, his loyal friend. Maybe he could make it up to Ryo though. Catch him when he returns to the house and apologize. Then maybe this guilty feeling would go away.  
  
Rowen silently slipped out of his bed, careful not to wake Sage, who didn't seem to be having any problems sleeping. He cracked open his door and slid out without making a noise. He headed for the stairs and when he reached the top of the stairs, he looked down the hallway to where Mia's room was and was shocked to see Ryo home already.  
  
Rowen was about to call out Ryo's name, but something stopped him. His eyes narrowed and he caught a glimpse of something shimmering under the dim hallway lighting on Ryo's cheek...a tear. Several to be exact. And what happened next shocked Rowen so much that he nearly feel down the stairs.  
  
Mia stood on the tip of her toes and gently kissed away Ryo's tears. Rowen watched them, certain that they would see him soon, but they didn't. Mia and Ryo had eyes only for eachother tonight. Rowen saw the gentle love and caring flowing between them like currents in a stream and at the same time he saw a fire ignited deep within them both. A fire that burned with love for the other.  
  
Mia pulled Ryo down to her and kissed him. Rowen silently smiled because he knew then that Mia and Ryo were right for eachother and he knew that Mia would take care of Ryo and make sure that he was ok. A part of Rowen wanted to wake the guys and tell them all about his recent discovery...that Mia and Ryo were in love, but the other part wanted to keep this secret and savor the fact that he knew something the others did not.  
  
Out of respect for Mia and Ryo's privacy, Rowen slipped back to his doorway and into his room. Once inside he laid down on his bed and recapped all that he had just seen. As sleep began to overtake him, he smiled with the knowledge that Ryo, his friend, would be alone no longer.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The next morning dawned rainy and dreary. Rowen walked down the stairs and into the kitchen fully expecting to see Mia and Ryo holding hands or some other sign of their love for eachother, but when he entered the room he was shocked. Ryo, Mia, and the guys were sitting at the table eating, but Ryo and Mia weren't holding hands or talking to eachother. The opposite in fact, Mia and Ryo were sitting at opposite ends of the table.   
  
Rowen felt his heart fall. Had he really seen them last night or had all been an elaborate illusion created by his mind to comfort himself into thinking that Ryo was no longer alone in this world. The guys looked up at him in confusion. Rowen was just standing in the doorway with his mouth open.  
  
"Hey, Rowen, are you ok, man?" Kento asked. "You look like you just got news that someone died."  
  
"Not someone, something that I didn't think could be put out," he mumbled under his breath.  
  
"He must be half-asleep still, I mean it is before noon!" Sage said jokingly.  
  
Rowen got his breakfast and sat down without another word. He had been wrong about the feelings between Ryo and Mia, but how? It had been so obvious last night. He looked at Ryo, but he was starring at something behind Rowen. Rowen glanced over his shoulder to see what Ryo was starring at and saw only Mia taking her dishes to the sink. He looked back at Ryo and saw the softness in his eyes caused only by love. Rowen then looked at Mia who had glanced at Ryo while washing her dishes and had found him starring at her. Their eyes locked and for a brief moment their love for eachother was apparent in their gaze.   
  
Rowen smiled. He had been right. They did love eachother. They just weren't ready to let everyone know yet. Well, their secret was safe with him. Rowen began eating his breakfast, happily singing a light tune under his breath. And for once Rowen was awake and acting like a human being before noon and all because two of his friends had found a solution for their loneliness in this world through their love, though it was hidden.  
  
~~~~~End~~~~~  
  
  



End file.
